Crown Equipment Builds 500th Fuel Cell-Powered Forklift (21/09/11)

Crown Equipment Corporation hailed as a milestone the building of its 500th forklift operated with fuel cells.

The Crown SR 5000 Series forklift truck was the vehicle in question and is one of more than 20 fuel cell-powered models from the firm.

"An increasing number of our customers are considering fuel cell-powered forklifts as a viable option," said Ernst Baumgartner, Crown fuel cell project manager.

"They are coming to us with questions and asking for help determining if and how this technology can be integrated into their fleets and facilities."

Environment agency uses fuel cells for conservation (30/09/11)

A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been installed at the UK Environment Agency's Woolston Weir fishery to monitor the movement of eels.

UPS Systems installed an EFOY Pro 2200 DMFC, which will act as a charger for two load-carrying batteries operating in parallel.

The fuel cell and batteries provide continuous power to a water pump, which oxygenates a holding tank where the eels are counted and checked.

Fuelling the future (01/10/11)

South Korea is the most committed to hydrogen power and fuel cell vehicles, according to a report in the latest issue of Chemistry World from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Offering range and ease of refuelling on a par with hydrocarbons, modern fuel cells use a solid proton exchange membrane as the electrolyte, with a platinum catalyst on either side.

With the technology in place, it is the political will and support that is now needed to drive the development of fuel cell vehicles and their uptake.

"I've seen the next generation of our fuel cells and they are really impressive," said Ulrich Eberle of General Motors' Hydrogen Propulsion Centre in Germany.

These fuel cells are 50 per cent smaller and lighter than current fuel cell stacks, he argued.

EU Officials To Drive Fuel-Cell Hyundai ix35 (04/10/11)

The Hyundai ix35 fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) has been chosen by the European Union (EU) to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology.

As part of the announcement from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, the vehicles will be test driven by members of the European Parliament, commissioners and other EU officials until March 2012.

MEP Maria da Graca Carvalho said: "Fuel cell vehicles, such as the ix35 FCEV, have great potential to help fight carbon dioxide emissions, reduce our dependence on hydrocarbons and contribute to economic growth."

Boeing to Collaborate with Neah Power Systems (04/10/11)

Boeing has said it may use platinum fuel cell technology from Neah Power Systems for various functions in its aeroplanes and ground systems.

"One of the key technologies that Boeing is evaluating for future airplanes are fuel cell systems used for the generation of airplane electrical power," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes in a letter to Neah Power Systems.

The aircraft maker added: "The development of a fuel cell system meeting Boeing's requirements is a crucial step toward proving the potential for successful deployment of this technology."

Nissan Develops Next Generation Fuel Cell Stack (13/10/11)

Nissan has released its Next Generation Fuel Cell Stack for fuel cell electric vehicles.

The carmaker said it has "significantly improved" the power density by 2.5 times on the 2005 model through a better membrane electrode assembly.

Nissan added: "The usage of platinum and parts variation has been reduced to one quarter, thereby reducing cost of the Next Generation Fuel Cell Stack to one-sixth of the 2005 model." 

© Adfero Ltd